A Ketchum discussion/debate/ brawl held live in NYC and streaming free across the web on October 6, 2011 to explore whether marketing is ruining the internet. What role can and should companies and brands play in shaping online culture? Will marketing and internet culture ever be able to coexist in harmony? Is there a middle ground between what marketers want to offer and what web users actually want? A distinguished group of keynote speakers and panelists joined us to discuss this issues. Here is a high-level summary of key takeaways. For more information, including full video coverage of the event, visit www.respecttheinternet.com. Credits: Many thanks to Ketchum's Brian Keenan for his work on this fine presentation.

1. respect the internet _2011
_takeaways from the 2nd Annual RTI Event

2. Respect the Internet
 Ketchum’s 2nd annual day-long
conversation / debate about the role
companies can (and should or should
not) play in shaping online culture
 Speakers from , ,
, ,
and more
 7,000+ live-streams; 100,000+ reach on
 All recorded content available at


3. Respect the Internet

4. _Target People, not the Internet
 The Internet is not the medium;
rather, people are the medium.
 People share content, purchase
goods and join Internet
communities based on their
actual interests.
 Marketers mistakenly objectify
online audiences when they
Dr. David Weinberger, ignore their interests.
co-author of

5. _Hire Traitors
 Companies have profit
motives while consumers do
not. The Internet has
exacerbated this disparity.
 For companies to be
believed, marketing and
communications
companies need
employees who will tell the
truth.
Hire “Benedict Arnolds” to
 “Traitors" provide Represent consumer interests
transparency for smart
online consumers.

6. _What is “Authentic?”
 Given the profit motive of most
companies, “authentic” in regards to a
company or brand has lost meaning.
 Companies underestimate the ability of
savvy consumers to identify
inconsistencies between brand
promises and company actions.
 Companies must strive for
consistency and transparency
online and offline.

7. _Remember What a "Conversation" Is
 When monitoring online
exchanges, companies should
stay away when not answering
consumer needs or meanfully
adding to conversations.
 Act only upon those mentions,
tweets, posts or comments that
are for your company,
not about it.
Erik Martin, &
Jeff Simmermon,

8. _Apologize
 "When something can and does go
wrong, someone will probably
complain about it online." – A digital
corollary to Murphy’s Law
 Online negativity can be damaging to
reputation and stock price if not well
managed.
 Brands should apologize online
without admitting legal culpability.
Erik Martin, &
Jeff Simmermon,
 A simple apology often diffuses a
volatile situation and earns brand
advocates.

9. _Companies, Identify Yourselves
 Communities like and
place priority on user identity,
while forums like , and
value anonymity.
and offer the
flexibility to choose real names or
pseudonyms.
 However, this flexibility does not apply to
companies.
 Brands should always identify
themselves online or risk a serious
backlash.

10. _Stop Asking for "Branded" Movements
 Companies rarely, if ever, begin a
true movement.
 Instead, companies act as the
accelerant for a movement by
catalyzing action, solidifying a
collective identity and
empowering cause evangelists.
 Brands should often quiet their own
Marty Cooke,
chief creative officer, U.S., ; message when supporting a
Kristen Engberg,
principal at ;
movement.
Mark Horvath,
founder of

11. _Support Organic Movements
 Companies should seek to support organic causes rather than creating
branded, controlled CSR efforts.
 Ideally, companies support causes to build goodwill affinity, not to
create advertisements or sell products.
 A hallmark of a transparent brand-cause relationship is the brand asking
nothing in return for their support.

12. _Enter Communities Where Your Brand Fits in
 Geography is no longer the sole
indicator of "place."
 Online communities with shared
affinities provide a real locale, forum
or safe place for members.
 Brands must research and
understand the tone and conventions
of a community before entering.
 Make sure your brand's value
proposition aligns with an existing
community need or want; a
misaligned message will be met
Cole Stryker, with criticism.
Author, ;
Chris Menning,
Viral Media Researcher, ;
Rob Beschizza,
Managing Editor,

13. _Cultivate Online Advocates through Slower
Relationship-Building
 Brands demanding quick spikes in
online engagement to prove ROI miss
out on forging authentic, enduring
relationships.
 Communities need time to absorb a
brand's message.
 If the budget allows, shift measurement
_spike in engagement
goals from immediate transactional
benefits to durable, longer-term
relationships.

14. _Pursue Influential Communities,
Not Big Ones
 How many of nearly one
billion users joined the site to follow a
brand?
 Focus on the impact of an online
community, not its overall size.
 A relatively small community of
dedicated brand evangelists will
provide a demonstrably greater
impact than a higher volume of
users who only "like" the brand's
Facebook page.

15. _Value-Added Content
 Online communities will seek out
and pay for value-added content.
 Brands that help enrich the
experience of niche and paid
communities will win super-
advocates.
 However, brands must first identify
their own value-proposition.
 Misguided approaches infringe on
the monetary relationship between
Todd Sawicki, consumer and community.
Chief Revenue Officer, ;
Gary Hoenig,
GM & Editorial Director, ;
Greg Goodfried,
President and Co-founder,

16. _ Customize Your Brand's Digital Mix
 The Internet has much to offer for
companies and brands beyond social
networking sites like and
.
 Brands and marketers need to
educate themselves on the wide
variety of online platforms, tools
and communities to find their ideal
digital mix.

17. Jonathan Kopp
Partner & Global Director
jonathan.kopp@ketchum.com
@jonathankopp
respect the internet _2011
_takeaways from the 2nd Annual RTI Event